Page 36 of Sweet Harmony

“I realizedthat I’m happiest when I’m surrounded by the people I love,” shesaid. “There’s something soothing in routine and – Grace? Gideon?What are you doing – Tank, no! Sit!”

Moving oninstinct, Connor tugged Kira behind him, protecting her from theGreat Dane’s now familiar enthusiastic greeting as he ran towardthem.

“Tank, sit,” hesaid in a loud voice.

The big dogplopped to his ass, tail sweeping across the dirt trail and histongue hanging halfway out of his mouth.

“Good boy.”Connor petted the dog’s head as he stared at Grace and Gideon. Thebig sheriff was standing close to her, his hand wrapped around herwrist. Grace, her face flushed and her body noticeably trembling,was staring up at him.

“You okay,Grace?” Connor said.

She visiblyjumped as the sheriff dropped her wrist and backed away until therewere a few feet of space between him and Grace.

“She’s fine.She’s with Gideon.” Kira stepped out from behind him and grinned ather best friend and her brother. “Hey, guys. Did you decide to goon a hike together?”

Consideringthat Kira was so damn good at reading his body language, he foundit remarkable that she was completely oblivious to the tensionradiating between Grace and Gideon.

Gideon shookhis head as Grace said, “No, um, we just ran into each other on thetrail.”

Kira frowned.“Are you hiking alone, Gracie?”

She nodded, andfor some reason, Kira gave her a look of disapproval. “GraceLarken, you were not! Addie and I strictly forbade you to go hikingalone.”

She glanced upat Connor. “Grace doesn’t have a very good sense of direction.She’s not allowed to go into the park to hike alone. We’re afraidshe’ll get lost and be eaten by bears.”

“I’m fine,”Grace said. “I’m not lost, Kira.” She wiped her palms on her thighsand when she winced, Kira dropped his hand and hurried forward.

“What’s wrong?Is that blood on your shirt? Why is there blood on your shirt?”

“Tank knockedme over and I scraped my hand. It’s fine.”

Kira glancedbehind her at Tank who was still sitting next to Connor. “Tank! Badboy! Very bad boy!”

The dog made alow whine and pressed his head against Connor’s hip. Connor rubbedbehind Tank’s ears as Kira turned back to Grace and reached for thefirst aid kit tucked under Grace’s arm. “Here, let me cleanit.”

“Gideon alreadycleaned it,” Grace said. “It’s fine, Kira. It’s just a scrape.”

Kira smiled atGideon. “Sheriff Gideon to the rescue. Thanks, buddy.”

He gruntedbefore whistling for Tank. The big dog loped over to him as Gideonsaid to Kira, “Can you walk her out of the park?”

“I can walkmyself out of the damn park,” Grace said. Her voice was icy coldand the way she looked at Gideon, suggested she was about threeseconds from trying to murder him.

“Can you,Kira?” Gideon ignored Grace completely.

“Yes,” Kirasaid.

“Thanks.” Hestuck his earbuds in his ears and jogged away with Tank at hisheels.

Kira smiled atGrace. “So, you were lost, weren’t you?”

“I wasn’tlost!” Grace snapped.

Kira took astep back. “Gracie? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,”Grace said. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to snap at you and yeah, I waslost.”

Kira put herarm around her and kissed her shoulder. “It’s okay, honey. C’monand walk with Conner and me.”

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